Grub Rescue

Yes, my sound card is the Asus Xonar D2X as mentioned in the thread. No, I don't use HDMI. I Don't obtain sound through my monitors speakers (it doesn't have any). I just output to an old set of Creative 560 5.1 speakers. The driver that it uses in Windows is signed by C-Media, but the drivers on the Asus website are only designated for Windows. I've only scanned the thread that I linked, but I got the impression that I could use a driver that is from C-Media, not from Asus. I didn't read far enough to know, but it sounded as though the sound using that driver would suffer in quality though. The author described some fixes, but I'm unsure if those fixes were just to make the driver work, or if it would improve the sound quality though. In any case, since Kubuntu did properly identify the sound card, it should have been able to load the right driver, but it didn't.

EDIT: Regarding your comment about the advantage you feel that Clonezilla has over TI, I see it a bit differently, because it isn't necessary to use it installed on the OS, it can be used from a CD, without the need for the OS to be working. I have never attempted to create an image that way, because if the OS is down, I certainly don't want to copy it then. I use the CD only for recovery purposes. Running TI is far more convenient, and much easier to run incremental backups, because it can be automated. Therefore I really only need to directly access TI on the OS to do the initial setup, or to start a new incremental series fresh.

Yes, my sound card is the Asus Xonar D2X as mentioned in the thread. No, I don't use HDMI. I Don't obtain sound through my monitors speakers (it doesn't have any). I just output to an old set of Creative 560 5.1 speakers. The driver that it uses in Windows is signed by C-Media, but the drivers on the Asus website are only designated for Windows. I've only scanned the thread that I linked, but I got the impression that I could use a driver that is from C-Media, not from Asus. I didn't read far enough to know, but it sounded as though the sound using that driver would suffer in quality though. The author described some fixes, but I'm unsure if those fixes were just to make the driver work, or if it would improve the sound quality though. In any case, since Kubuntu did properly identify the sound card, it should have been able to load the right driver, but it didn't.

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Well according to my research that card should work under linux by now, some more recent topics i found on the net suggests it works fine. So it may be a matter with your speakers, you said you use creative 5.1 speakers... Well theres your answer, creative devices and linux dont get along whatsoever. especially if they need drives, i guess they connect to USB? Well theres your problem, linux and creative have had a lousy relationship when concerning USB. I cannot get much info on your speakers so I am guessing that is your issue. Otherwise if they use a standard connector then they should work fine an you dont need the drivers. You just need to figure out how to set the speakers up in Kubuntu, if they can be managed via the card then it should have no issue whatsoever.

EDIT: Regarding your comment about the advantage you feel that Clonzilla has over TI, I see it a bit differently, because it isn't necessary to use it installed on the OS, it can be used from a CD, without the need for the OS to be working. I have never attempted to create an image that way, because if the OS is down, I certainly don't want to copy it then. I use the CD only for recovery purposes. Running TI is far more convenient, and much easier to run incremental backups, because it can be automated. Therefore I really only need to directly access TI on the OS the do the initial setup, or to start a new incremental series fresh.

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Perhaps, but at least now you can get the tools you need if and when you need them. Its nice to have alternatives.

Well according to my research that card should work under linux by now, some more recent topics i found on the net suggests it works fine. So it may be a matter with your speakers, you said you use creative 5.1 speakers... Well theres your answer, creative devices and linux dont get along whatsoever. especially if they need drives, i guess they connect to USB? Well theres your problem, linux and creative have had a lousy relationship when concerning USB. I cannot get much info on your speakers so I am guessing that is your issue. Otherwise if they use a standard connector then they should work fine an you dont need the drivers. You just need to figure out how to set the speakers up in Kubuntu, if they can be managed via the card then it should have no issue whatsoever.

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No, the speakers aren't the problem, because they plug directly into the sound card and require no drivers for themselves. The only driver involved is that for the sound card.

I just finished re-installing Kubuntu 13.10. The new installation brought some changes, both good and not so good. First the not so good...it still drops to shell on startup, with all hard drives disconnected besides the Kubuntu drive, which of course, is different than before, so the alert message on startup can't be due to any hard drive. the alpha-numeric ID of the device causing the problem is different than before, but that doesn't tell me anything, because I have no idea of how to interpret it?

The good part is that I now have audio. The only explanation for this I can think of is that this time I checked the box to install updates during the installation, which I didn't before. I haven't tested the audio in all applications, but the desktop sounds are right, and it tests good in Phonom.

Also, It doesn't appear that there are any KDE glitches as before, but the taskbar was not visible on my secondary monitor, so when I added it, it appeared at the top of the screen, instead of at the bottom where I prefer it. I attempted to find a means of resetting it to the bottom, but found nothing. Can it be moved down?

I'm going to have to browse back through this thread to see if there is anything else I need to check that we have already covered.

EDIT: Perhaps you might have a suggestion for one problem with discussed lightly...installing Opera. I haven't tried it again yet, because it would probably end up with the same result as before, installed but invisible. I checked through the browser options in Muon Discover, and found all kind of browsers that I never heard of or don't like as much, but no Opera.

I just finished re-installing Kubuntu 13.10. The new installation brought some changes, both good and not so good. First the not so good...it still drops to shell on startup, with all hard drives disconnected besides the Kubuntu drive, which of course, is different than before, so the alert message on startup can't be due to any hard drive. the alpha-numeric ID of the device causing the problem is different than before, but that doesn't tell me anything, because I have no idea of how to interpret it?

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Yeah I have no idea what is going on now, I mean it could be that you had a bad .iso image or something I normally dont have those kinds of issues even in Kubuntu. What method did you use to create your live Image? Just asking as I do have to make it a factor

The good part is that I now have audio. The only explanation for this I can think of is that this time I checked the box to install updates during the installation, which I didn't before. I haven't tested the audio in all applications, but the desktop sounds are right, and it tests good in Phonom.

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That is good to here, the initial error could have been from dist upgrading too.

Also, It doesn't appear that there are any KDE glitches as before, but the taskbar was not visible on my secondary monitor, so when I added it, it appeared at the top of the screen, instead of at the bottom where I prefer it. I attempted to find a means of resetting it to the bottom, but found nothing. Can it be moved down?

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Eh Multi monitor support in linux isnt that great, unless you can use the proprietary drivers. Give me your graphics card specs and I can check if its compatible

EDIT: Perhaps you might have a suggestion for one problem with discussed lightly...installing Opera. I haven't tried it again yet, because it would probably end up with the same result as before, installed but invisible. I checked through the browser options in Muon Discover, and found all kind of browsers that I never heard of or don't like as much, but no Opera.

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Yeah opera is not in the repositories. Reason being is that opera is a closed source application. And if you are an opera fan, I kind of feel sorry for you as the new opera 15 is a crappy google chrome clone and does not currently have a version for linux. But why have a crappy chrome clone when you can just use google chrome or its open source counterpart chromium. Chromium is my primary browser due to its compatibility with pepperflash, flash is dead in linux sadly and adobe is only giving it bugfixes. Luckily Mozilla will even the playing feild again for linux with its shumway project. So if you want adobe flash, well yes you can get it but if you want a more recent version of it you have to install google chrome. But blame adobe for that, they see no value in linux obviously nor tablets. It will be their downfall to be sure, flash deserves to die anyway.

Yeah I have no idea what is going on now, I mean it could be that you had a bad .iso image or something I normally dont have those kinds of issues even in Kubuntu. What method did you use to create your live Image? Just asking as I do have to make it a factor

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The method you recommended...unetbootin

Eh Multi monitor support in linux isnt that great, unless you can use the proprietary drivers. Give me your graphics card specs and I can check if its compatible

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I don't think it has to do with the graphics card, because the taskbar appeared where it should on the previous installation. However it is an EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost.

Yeah opera is not in the repositories. Reason being is that opera is a closed source application. And if you are an opera fan, I kind of feel sorry for you as the new opera 15 is a crappy google chrome clone and does not currently have a version for linux. But why have a crappy chrome clone when you can just use google chrome or its open source counterpart chromium. Chromium is my primary browser due to its compatibility with pepperflash, flash is dead in linux sadly and adobe is only giving it bugfixes. Luckily Mozilla will even the playing feild again for linux with its shumway project. So if you want adobe flash, well yes you can get it but if you want a more recent version of it you have to install google chrome. But blame adobe for that, they see no value in linux obviously nor tablets. It will be their downfall to be sure, flash deserves to die anyway.

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I don't want to use the Chrome clone version of Opera. I want to use version 12.16 (Presto version), which is the recommended version when you go directly to Opera's download page. Is there a better method to install it,other than just running it directly from the downloaded file?

I don't think it has to do with the graphics card, because the taskbar appeared where it should on the previous installation. However it is an EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost.

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None the less linux can be titchy on dual monitors, uckily dual monitor support is getting better. But I cant rule it out as a possible cause of your issue

I don't want to use the Chrome clone version of Opera. I want to use version 12.16 (Presto version), which is the recommended version when you go directly to Opera's download page. Is there a better method to install it,other than just running it directly from the downloaded file?

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Well they do have a repository (a repository is like a software store and its how most linux distros manage software. Setting up extra repositories in Kubuntu is easy for the most part, but i will get into that when the time comes.) I say try the normal windows method again, going to operas website and download and install the .deb file. It could have been a fluke

The download window has the option to either just download it or to have qapt install it. Not certain, but I think I had qapt do it last time. If I just download the file, what would I use to install it...Muon?

I installed a hardware lister (lshw), hoping that it would list all my hardware according to alpha-numeric strings like the one in the boot alert, but the program is totally worthless. All that it did was to list a bunch blank OEM data, even though it appeared to scan devices first. Since that alpha-numeric identifier is used, there must be some way of finding out what it means. I tried using Google to see what it would come up with, but that was also a futile effort.

Another glitch I'm having problems with is that regular intervals when the OS is idle, it pops a login window making it look as though the session has been locked, but all I have to do is to move the mouse or hit a key on the keyboard and it returns back to normal. A real annoyance when watching a video. How do I stop it from doing this?

The download window has the option to either just download it or to have qapt install it. Not certain, but I think I had qapt do it last time. If I just download the file, what would I use to install it...Muon?

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No qapt is the default tool for installing software off the repos not muon. But if you are a little shaky on it I suggest gdebi-kde, I have had it work a little better then qapt in some cases.

I installed a hardware lister (lshw), hoping that it would list all my hardware according to alpha-numeric strings like the one in the boot alert, but the program is totally worthless. All that it did was to list a bunch blank OEM data, even though it appeared to scan devices first. Since that alpha-numeric identifier is used, there must be some way of finding out what it means. I tried using Google to see what it would come up with, but that was also a futile effort.

Another glitch I'm having problems with is that regular intervals when the OS is idle, it pops a login window making it look as though the session has been locked, but all I have to do is to move the mouse or hit a key on the keyboard and it returns back to normal. A real annoyance when watching a video. How do I stop it from doing this?

EDIT: I kept groping around until I found how to disable it

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Yeah after a while KDE will show a lock screen that actually wont lock the screen. There is a bug in KDE 4.11 where the lock screen doesnt work properly. (This should be fixed soon as far as i heard, possibly by next KDE patch set for quite soon.) Its set by default to turn on in 1 minute of inactivity, so you have to play around with its settings. for a better locker for KDE use the desktop widgets option, not only does it offer a proper screen lock but you can put a few widgets into it and change the background too. Its turned off by hitting the little cashew thing in the upper right corner.

I think that what we have here is a failure to communicate. If you feel that LSHW is Good, I would like to know what you think it is good for, unless you don't want to know anything more than some very limited info that some OEM may have included in their installation of the OS on their machine? This is all that it shows on mine:

I'm not looking for anything that will just read model #s and performance values, like CPU-z, I want something that will list components by the alpha-numeric identifiers like the one at the bottom of the screenshot, which in this case, I have no idea of what it could possibly mean, because I built my computer myself, and I didn't add any alpha-numeric ID like that, so where did it come from?

EDIT: I found this article that touches on the uuid, but doesn't make it clear as to what I can do with them, because it appears that they are for generating the numbers, not deciphering what they mean?

Yeah after a while KDE will show a lock screen that actually wont lock the screen. There is a bug in KDE 4.11 where the lock screen doesnt work properly. (This should be fixed soon as far as i heard, possibly by next KDE patch set for quite soon.) Its set by default to turn on in 1 minute of inactivity, so you have to play around with its settings. for a better locker for KDE use the desktop widgets option, not only does it offer a proper screen lock but you can put a few widgets into it and change the background too. Its turned off by hitting the little cashew thing in the upper right corner.

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I wouldn't call it a bug exactly, because there is separate setting to enable that loigin window and another that has to be enabled to set a time before it actually locks the screen. The only "bug" I see is that the default is set to only show the window, kind of like a screensaver, which I never use.

I went ahead and used qapt again, and this time it worked as it should have. I now have Opera installed and visible in the Launcher options.

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Thats good to hear

I think that what we have here is a failure to communicate. If you feel that LSHW is Good, I would like to know what you think it is good for, unless you don't want to know anything more than some very limited info that some OEM may have included in their installation of the OS on their machine? This is all that it shows on mine:

but that is from the commandline the GUI is far less useful in this case, for you I installed its gui and its nowhere near as helpful. Must be bugged, oh well i can handle commandline and its such a simple command.

I wouldn't call it a bug exactly, because there is separate setting to enable that loigin window and another that has to be enabled to set a time before it actually locks the screen. The only "bug" I see is that the default is set to only show the window, kind of like a screensaver, which I never use.

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No trust me there is a a bug with the lock screen in KDE 4.11 where it wont actually lock the screen. Luckily like I said you can bypass it, even turn it off If you want a better screen locker at least now you know how to get one.

No LSHW is usually pretty good, as its supposed to detect hardware and list it, here is what it spouts out on mine:

but that is from the commandline the GUI is far less useful in this case, for you I installed its gui and its nowhere near as helpful. Must be bugged, oh well i can handle commandline and its such a simple command.

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Don't need the commandline in this case anyway. Your run of it shows that it doesn't include the UUIDs I was hoping that it would.

Another issue that I'm running into, is that when I boot into Windows, after having been in Kubuntu, Windows time is off. the differential makes it look as though it has been adjusted to GMT. It easy to sync it to the correct local time, but that shouldn't be necessary. Kubuntu is not changing the time in the BIOS, but the BIOS time is set to GMT. What is Kubuntu doing that effects Windows.

Another issue that I'm running into, is that when I boot into Windows, after having been in Kubuntu, Windows time is off. the differential makes it look as though it has been adjusted to GMT. It easy to sync it to the correct local time, but that shouldn't be necessary. Kubuntu is not changing the time in the BIOS, but the BIOS time is set to GMT. What is Kubuntu doing that effects Windows.

I found the problem with the UUID, but not the solution to it. It turns out that the device causing the problem is one or all of the optical drives. When I disconnect them, no problem. It doesn't seem to be a defective drive, but that Kubuntu is attempting to boot from it, even though I selected to boot from the Kubuntu drive instead.

I disabled the second boot device in the BIOS, so that only my Windows drive is set as a boot device, but the Kubuntu boot menu still lists one of the optical drives as first on the boot menu. Why that should matter, I have no idea, because it should not look for the optical drive when the Kubuntu drive is what is selected.

I don't know, but I have a hunch that something has to be changed in the Kubuntu boot configuration.

Something that I doubt that you can help with, considering your opinion of Opera, but I will ask regardless. Opera was working just fine for a while, but a bit ago, when I attempted to post my last question with Opera, all of a sudden, the keyboard went haywire. I could type in letters, but the space bar stopped working. At first, thinking that something was wrong with the keyboard, I swapped to another keyboard, but the problem was still the same.

I suppose the next step would be to reinstall Opera, but before doing so, I wanted to see if you had any ideas that might make that unnecessary?

Something that I doubt that you can help with, considering your opinion of Opera, but I will ask regardless. Opera was working just fine for a while, but a bit ago, when I attempted to post my last question with Opera, all of a sudden, the keyboard went haywire. I could type in letters, but the space bar stopped working. At first, thinking that something was wrong with the keyboard, I swapped to another keyboard, but the problem was still the same.

I suppose the next step would be to reinstall Opera, but before doing so, I wanted to see if you had any ideas that might make that unnecessary?

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That seems like a general program freeze Kubuntu does hiccup from time to time (thus why I dont use it) Did you load flash by any chance?

And yeah I dont care for opera these days, but its their own fault for ditching a great browser the way they did, I am fine with google chrome personally but it does not feature not nearly as much customization or flexibility of classic opera. I would take your opera issue up over at the opera linux subforum if it persists. Or if you really do get tired of waiting for me to reply you can take your issue over to kubuntuforums:http://www.kubuntuforums.net/content.php

Just remember this is all volunteer stuff so dont get mad if your issue doesnt get noticed right off the bat. Simply bump your topic.

I found the problem with the UUID, but not the solution to it. It turns out that the device causing the problem is one or all of the optical drives. When I disconnect them, no problem. It doesn't seem to be a defective drive, but that Kubuntu is attempting to boot from it, even though I selected to boot from the Kubuntu drive instead.

I disabled the second boot device in the BIOS, so that only my Windows drive is set as a boot device, but the Kubuntu boot menu still lists one of the optical drives as first on the boot menu. Why that should matter, I have no idea, because it should not look for the optical drive when the Kubuntu drive is what is selected.

I don't know, but I have a hunch that something has to be changed in the Kubuntu boot configuration.

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Possibly, I would not know for sure until you do further testing on your end. I am not a total expert on every piece of hardware and how it works with linux, I dont think anyone is. So it is a bit trial and error, kind of the downside of using linux.